Jets continue to be short on cornerbacks

When he visited in January the studios of Pro Football Talk on NBCSN, cornerback Antonio Cromartie knew he’d be cut by the Jets, due to his cap number.

But Cromartie also knew he wanted to sign a new contract to stay with the team.

“This is where I want to be, that’s where I want to retire,” Cromartie said.

While it may be where he retires, it won’t be where Cromartie plays in 2014. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Cromartie ultimately decided that he wanted a fresh start, choosing the one-year offer from Arizona over the-year offer from the Jets.

There’s always the draft, but last year’s first-round pick at the position (Dee Milliner) struggled at times in 2013. The Jets can roll the dice again at the position in this year’s draft, but they would have been better off with a proven veteran.

Idzik needs to go! This is unacceptable, he has done absolutely nothing to improve this team. The last decent CB on the market, who wanted to be with the team and he lets him go. March dont win Super Bowls yes, but sure helps getting players to give you a chance come play-off time.

Well I like what idzik has done so far some players are free agents for a reason but in this case with no real quality at the cornerback position left Idzik dropped the ball on this one so this one goes up as a loss.

arwiv says:Mar 20, 2014 1:59 PM

Idzak has absolutely no excuse for his disgusting display over the free agency period. The Jets could have signed TWO top corners and still had a ton left in cap room. Unless Idzak was under orders not to spend for some reason, he should be fired when the Jets fail this year. depending on Milliner and Wilson as your two starting corners is utter lunacy.

I feel like this the 4th time I’ve seen this article on this site. I agree Idzik has let some quality CB’s come and go in FA, but clearly he won’t overpay and is sticking to his guns. If he’s convinced Cromartie isn’t worth bringing back I’m inclined to believe him. It would be nice to fill that second corner spot immediately, but it’s March 20th. Jets have tons of draft picks and potential value signings ahead of them. Let’s quit overreacting and pretending there’s a game tomorrow.

Stop w/ the Kyle Wilson stuff. He is a good nickel at best. Draft a corner in the first if one of the top 2 are there. Milliner will be just fine as he showed vast improvement down the stretch. The D line will do its job applying pressure so inexperienced corners will be able to learn and grow. Relax people it’s still March!!!!

surfinbird1 says:Mar 20, 2014 2:15 PM

They picked up Ras-l Dowling after the Pats dumped him. He should be good for about half a game.

louiedogg16 says:Mar 20, 2014 2:20 PM

For the Jets fans, remember Idzik was best known for his “capology” in Seattle. With that said, he probably didn’t sign a CB because the prices were too high. What’s the point in dropping 12 million on a guy if your QB still needs time to develop? Jets need a CB, but if you really want to be successful, you get your solutions in the draft.

joshnyc1 says:Mar 20, 2014 2:21 PM

Hindsight is 20/20. It’s easy right now to bash him for his lack of activity, but let’s wait until the Jets flounder before we scold Idzik. His lack of activity is far from reassuring, but he’s been part of organizations that have rebuilt the right way i.e. SEA and TB in 2000. The jets aren’t winning the superbowl next year, they’re window has just slightly opened. However a slightly open window can close just as fast if they hamper their future on lousy A type contracts for B type players. He’s playing it cool and close to the chest. If the team takes a step backwards next season the criticism will be warranted. For now, let’s just let the man cook, he put together an overachieving roster last year with little money, so I have to give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

Saw Ed the Fireman a few weeks ago, he was grinning from ear to ear and about to leave on a cruise. You don’t have to live this way, Jets fans. It’s time to let it go.

tigerlilac says:Mar 20, 2014 2:28 PM

“Arizona is much better place to retire.”

Not if you a Black man. Arizona is one of the most overtly racist states in the US.

tigerlilac says:Mar 20, 2014 2:34 PM

“I agree Idzik has let some quality CB’s come and go in FA, but clearly he won’t overpay and is sticking to his guns. ”

The market is the market. Idzik refuses to pay market. Let’s not pretend he “won’t overpay”. A guy who tries to take every nickel off a negotiating table doesn’t close many deals. That may be a wise choice or a foolish choice. The future will answer that question.

People need to relax. How many times has it been said, “you don’t win a championship in March?” There’s still a draft with 8-10 picks, college F/A and preseason games when teams have to pare down to 53. They’ll be lots of talented players available who don’t make it on other teams. Maybe they don’t fit the scheme, or the team has no room after signing and overpaying for F/A retreads. The way the NFL(network) promotes Free Agent Frenzy and Draft Day (all 3 days for 7 rounds [used to be 12 in 1-2 days]) you’d think the regular games start this weekend. There’s still 5 months before rosters are set. Lets see how the Revis’ and Ware’s hold up. Be a real kick in the ass if teams can only squeeze out 6-8 games out of those contracts. Patience.

Woody Johnson needs to find better advisors than what he has. The choice of John Idzik as a GM is far worse that keeping Rex Ryan as a coach. Idzik has destroyed the roster , and isn’t rebuilding, either. He is just over his head in the qualities needed in a good NFL GM.

One might wonder if Idzik’s lack of FA signings has more to do with wanting to give Rex as empty a cupboard as possible this year so he can get rid of him after the season and get his own coach in.

But as someone else mentioned, Miami “won” free agency last year and that didn’t help them a whole lot. All we heard all last summer was that the Fins were now a monster team and the Pats didn’t stand a chance.

I’ll wait and see how the Jets draft and how Ryan manages the players he has against the Pats before I call their offseason a joke.

I love people that thumb up a racist state. No pun intended but it is pretty black and white that Arizona is an overtly racist state. Feel free to like the Cardinals, the Diamondbacks, the Grand Canyon, Saguaro National Park, Havasu Falls, Monument Valley, Camelback Mountain, and Frank Lloyd Wrights’ Taliesin West (the the power lines kill the aesthetics) but it is still a hotbed of racists.

tigerlilac says:Mar 21, 2014 2:48 AM

“did you watch milliner’s last month of the season? he was possibly the best cornerback in the league last year in that period time”

NOT a Jets fan, but I have to say that Idzik is probably pretty smart for refusing to allow what other GMs agree to overpay for players dictate what he decides to pay. Teams can and SHOULD dictate to players how much they are willing to pay. No one holds a gun to a player’s head to force him to sign a contract. If three teams sign cornerbacks for 6MM a year, that does NOT mean another team must pay that for a corner or else. If I were a GM, I’d tell the player, “If you wanted 6MM you should have signed with one of those other teams. You didn’t, obviously, and now that opportunity is gone. We’re offering you a spot at $4.5MM. Don’t want it? There’s the door, and good luck.”